View Full Version : Adding aquarium fish
Just wondering what advice any poster can give regarding how many fish they would recommend adding to an aquarium at once?
There's loads of conflicting info out there!
I've got a new 240 litre tropical setup with half a dozen danios in to get the cycle going. Was looking into ordering fish online, as per some recommendations here, but it seems a shame to spend £20 postage on a handfull of fish.
Anyone?
Hi there,
You would be safe enough adding 4 fish a week and keep checking your water to make sure there are no spikes in ammonia or nitrites.Was in PAH in inverness last week and they had a brill selection of fish,better than the one in wick.
Thanks for that.
I'm looking for a talking catfish and maybe a pair of blue dwarf rams. I can get them online but haven't ever seen them in a shop.
When taking home fish from Inverness, do you recommend taking an insulated box or heat pads? Or will the temperature be ok for the two hour drive?
I would be a bit worried about the time driving home from Inverness with fish but I suppose it would be even worse for the fish coming by post.
I ordered some plants by post from ebay and they arrived next day, brilliant selection and 50 plants for the price of about 3 from PAH, I know we should support our local shops and I do buy a lot locally but PAH prices were beyond me for plants. I now have a brilliant looking tank and lots of places for the fish to hide or lay eggs etc.
Having lots of plants also helps to keep the water clean and reduces the nutrients for algae to flourish so less cleaning of the glass.
LoneSomeDove
20-Feb-11, 12:01
Hi can i recommend you have a look at this site, you will get all the help you require with this, travelling with fish in bags for that distance is not the best way to go, if fish are to be safely transported without stress then you realy would need a tank set up in your vehicle with filters and heat.
http://www.fishkeepingforum.co.uk/forum/forum.asp
if you are going to blue rams in with a community tank i would be careful. Even though they say they are fine with community fish they tend to be very nippy on fins and can be very territorial at breeding times. I breed cichlids and have a large 566l cichlid community tank.
As for the cat fish, you will need to decide what type you are gonna get. i have a large male who at the mo is nearly 16 in long and destroys all plants, knocks over all rocks and can be ver destructive.Dont go for common plecs, sailfin plecks as you tank will not take the size. polka dot catfish are a nice species , growing to a max of 8in.
as i say have a look at this forum and you can get all the advice from experts who have been in the fishkeeping game for many many years.If i can help anymore send pm with questions and ill try to answer them correctly for you.
I would be a bit worried about the time driving home from Inverness with fish but I suppose it would be even worse for the fish coming by post.
That was my thought with inverness. However the fish a delivered to pets at home by road, so there must be ways of making the travel safer.
A few online shops have been recommended to me on here and by friends.
Most of them seem to pack the fish with oxygen in the bags, in insulated boxes and with chemical heat pads to maintain the temperature. They guarantee next day live delivery, even up here, hence the £20 charge.
http://www.trimar.co.uk/
http://www.discountfish.co.uk/
http://www.aquaticstoyourdoor.co.uk/
These were the sites I was looking at.
We spoke to Graeme Poulson in inverness and he recommended taking an insulated box.He puts oxygen tablets in the water so 2hr drive would be no problem.He`s packaged fish for delivery to Shetland this way and hasn`t had any problems.They didn`t have fish you are looking for but might be able to order them in if you don`t want to pay postage on web.
as i say have a look at this forum and you can get all the advice from experts who have been in the fishkeeping game for many many years.If i can help anymore send pm with questions and ill try to answer them correctly for you.
Thanks for that.
I have been using that forum for advice too, just thought it better to ask the locals here what they do.
I have heard that blue rams can be a bit nippy, but I'm not planning any large finned fish, I'm more concerned about them nipping each other. From what I've read, being dwarfs, they're not as bad as the larger cichlids for nipping although they will give a bit of a chase?
I'm thinking of either a striped or spotted raphael catfish as they should only grow 6-8 inches.
Another site is direct tropicals.co.uk.Am looking to order online in the next week myself,all the sites offer live arrival guarantees so dont see a problem ordering online.
We spoke to Graeme Poulson in inverness
Does he work in one of the pet shops?
My other option is a drive to Lossiemouth, I've heard there's a good shop there.
LoneSomeDove
20-Feb-11, 12:17
Thanks for that.
I have been using that forum for advice too, just thought it better to ask the locals here what they do.
I have heard that blue rams can be a bit nippy, but I'm not planning any large finned fish, I'm more concerned about them nipping each other. From what I've read, being dwarfs, they're not as bad as the larger cichlids for nipping although they will give a bit of a chase?
I'm thinking of either a striped or spotted raphael catfish as they should only grow 6-8 inches.
Blue rams are one of those that do cohabit ok together, and it does not matter if the other fish are large finned or not, they still tend to go for other fish. I found it is better to have a couple of blue rams and add some other dwarf rams like golden rams, jewel cichlids, which have been discribed as aggressive but actualy are peace keepers, they tend to stop the hassle, building up.
good that you seek advice localy and national, gives you a more iopen vies to fishkeeping.I have found over the years that fishkeeping is not a set of rules, this fish should not go there, dont house certain types with others, its garbage, as i have tried and tested over the years. They say read the book but unfortunately for fish keepers FISH CAN'T READ.
He works in PAH in inverness and was very knowlegable.http://www.danditropicals.co.uk/ is the shop in lossiemouth.
Billy Boy
20-Feb-11, 12:23
I have never had any problem with buying fish online! Just this week i got some freshwater shrimps from here http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Kesgrave-Tropicals/_i.html?_nkw=shrimp&_trksid=p3286.c0.m57.
First class service and good packing to, This is the third time i have had fish from here and good results every time.
Thanks for that.
I'm looking for a talking catfish and maybe a pair of blue dwarf rams. I can get them online but haven't ever seen them in a shop.
When taking home fish from Inverness, do you recommend taking an insulated box or heat pads? Or will the temperature be ok for the two hour drive?
Request a large bag for the fish and be put in a heat box. This will keep the water at the right temp for the journey. As soon as you are home put the bag in the tank. When ordering from inverness tell them you will take between 2 and 3 hours to get home and they will make sure the fish are ok for the journey.
neepnipper
20-Feb-11, 15:06
Thanks for that.
I'm looking for a talking catfish and maybe a pair of blue dwarf rams. I can get them online but haven't ever seen them in a shop.
When taking home fish from Inverness, do you recommend taking an insulated box or heat pads? Or will the temperature be ok for the two hour drive?
Pets at Home in Wick have croaking catfish in at the moment.
Pets at Home in Wick have croaking catfish in at the moment.
Is that a Raphael or a different fish altogether?
Thanks for that.
I'm looking for a talking catfish and maybe a pair of blue dwarf rams. I can get them online but haven't ever seen them in a shop.
When taking home fish from Inverness, do you recommend taking an insulated box or heat pads? Or will the temperature be ok for the two hour drive?
After coming of org this afternoon phoned http://www.danditropicals.co.uk/ in lossiemouth.Ended up going a run,took 3hrs and got 10 lemon tetras.They were packed in a bag with plenty of oxygen and another bag with warm water was placed beside them in a small coolbox.All in all it took 4 and a half hrs to get home with a couple of stops and the fish are happily swimming about in there new home now.They also have talking catfish and blue rams in the shop.Lovely clean tanks and very helpfull,will be back for more in a week or 2.
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